


Are you still mine?

by WickedandDevine



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 16:24:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4026772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedandDevine/pseuds/WickedandDevine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert asks Aaron to take him to where Victoria and Adam are staying, but can the situation bring them back together again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are you still mine?

Aaron tried to convince himself that he didn’t know the reason as to why he was sitting in a traffic jam right now. He mused that maybe it was because he was a decent person and didn’t like to see people upset. It could have been that he was worried and wanted to find out how Vic and Adam were. He even thought that it was the chance to skive off work that had convinced him to say yes to this request. But no, in the back of his mind, he knew the real reason and that reason was the insufferable man sitting in the driving seat next to him. Aaron looked across to Robert watching as his knee nervously bopped up and down. He had refused to consume any of the snacks which Aaron had bought especially for the journey, instead sticking to taking long slow gulps from his large Americano. When he extended his neck to drain the last of the drink, Aaron averted his eyes feeling warmth spreading to his cheeks. Closing his eyes, he thought of anything that could stop the thoughts going on in his head right now. His hands gripped onto his thighs fighting with the memories willing them to go away. He wasn’t a religious person, but right now he was silently praying to every god there was.

Twice in the last few weeks Aaron had rejected Robert’s advances and twice he had been left feeling that emptiness that only Robert could fill, in more ways than one. There was no point dwelling on it though he needed to move on and Robert had certainly made his feelings very clear, Aaron shuddered recalling those words ‘You are nothing to me’. At this point it wasn’t even a case of him feeling hurt, it was more a numbness. He felt numb to Robert’s rejection of him, numb to the realisation that they would never be together, not the way that he wanted anyway. The only thing he truly felt was the certainty that everything they ever had, had been a lie. From Robert’s soothing voice saving him from death to his confession of something Aaron had always dreamed he would say. When Robert had said those words to him, he couldn’t quite believe it, but now more than ever he refused to.

Robert had come to him earlier that morning desperate for help in finding Victoria, she’d run away the previous night after news of Ashely’s worsening condition circulated the village. Naturally, Adam had gone with her and proceeded to text Aaron their whereabouts. Shortly after that, Robert turned up begging for Aaron to take him to them. 

‘I just want know she’s safe, to have the chance to try and convince her to come back before things get worse for her. You know better than anyone a life on the run is no way to live. I know Vic, the guilt will tear apart, she’s not like me, not a coward’. His lip trembled as he looked the other way almost laughing at the realisation that it was only Aaron that he would ever let see him like this, Aaron whom he had let go so easily, Aaron that he loved.

‘Please’ he whispered voice breaking; his teary eyes locking with Aaron’s hard stare. Aaron’s gaze softened as he looked into those remarkable eyes. In the past, he would have done anything for those eyes, they were the window to a connection between them that no one else could even begin to understand. Those eyes faced him here again begging for help and so of course, like he always did Aaron buckled, because of that connection but also because that trembling lip was just too precious for words.

So Aaron made his excuses to Cain, claiming that Adam’s hasty departure meant he needed to catch up at the scrapyard. Leaving the pub he had decided it would be best to head to the café first in order to pick up supplies. He knew he needed something to keep himself occupied if he was going to be sitting next to Robert for an unspecified amount of time. When he ordered the cakes it was only when he paid for them that he noticed he hadn’t actually chosen his favourites. Looking in the box he sighed at the cherry bake well tarts remembering that they were in fact Roberts’ favourites. He recalled how like an excited child Robert had consumed box upon box of them during Aaron’s week up at Home Farm, refusing to buy anything healthy and instead stocking up on as many sugar goods as possible. Once he had exited the café he moved to the back of the pub where they had agreed to meet. The familiar figure soon appearing in his car, his new car which Aaron would now probably never have the pleasure of test-driving. When Robert swung the door open for him, he precariously stepped in, taking extra care to avoid any touches. He needed to avoid any possible contact between their shoulders, hands and thighs. God those thighs! He thought biting his lip, eyes trailing to Robert’s spread legs below the steering wheel. Suddenly it occurred to him that Robert knew from past experience that Aaron’s lip-bite usually meant he was thinking of something extremely dirty to do with them the two of them. Covering his mouth, he turned and pressed his face up against the warm window fighting various memories of his and Robert’s best ‘encounters’. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, looking in Robert’s direction when he realised the car was still parked.

‘I just wanted to say… I’m really grateful that you’re doing this, I know that you don’t have to, it’s not like you owe me anything’ he finished and leant against the steering wheel waiting for a response.

‘I know’ Aaron had bluntly responded reaching out for Robert’s sat-nav to programme their destination. Once he was finished, he slammed the cake box down on the dashboard indicating to the contents. 

‘I bought these…if you want one. ’Robert peered into the box a smile on his face when he noticed the contents, but he soon backed away when the butterflies in his stomach returned. It was stupid to be this nervous about seeing Victoria, but then as he stared across the car, noticing Aaron had pulled his sleeves down to hide his arms, his stomach confirmed to him his nerves were not totally to do with seeing his sister. They hadn’t been this close in weeks and as Aaron hide those arms which caused such an uproar to his senses, Robert breathed In and out trying to calm himself, trying to of an appropriate response to Aaron’s gesture. 

‘No…No thanks I think I’ll just stick to coffee’ 

‘Suit yourself’ Aaron threw back; crossing his arms as Robert finally started the engine and drove out of the village. 

About ten minutes into the journey, Aaron made the bold decision of reaching out to turn the radio on. He needed something, anything to block out the sound of Robert’s soft breathing in the chair next to him. Even now it was doing things to his body that he couldn’t explain; goose bumps on his body despite it being fully clothed and boiling from the sun shining in. Robert tutted in annoyance when Aaron finally found a channel he wanted to listen to.  
‘What?’

‘Does it really have to be that channel? The music’s so loud’

‘Right, well what would you like to listen to? The classical channel? Suits you fine that does, it’ll give you a chance to play your little violin about how hard your life is’. Aaron snapped 

‘I never said my life was hard’

‘No? Sounded like that when you were sitting on the pub sofa pouring your heart out, trying to kiss me’. As the car in front cut across Robert he slammed on the breaks, beeping his horn as the argument continued. 

'Fine I kissed you, but you kissed me back don’t even try denying that’ Aaron’s silence told the truth that they both knew and so he huffed and sat back in his chair as the cars in front returned to a snail’s pace. 

‘Ok, I’ll admit that wasn’t our best kiss’ Robert joked softly, trying to catch Aaron’s eye. When he got no response, he turned back to the wheel and reached out to fiddle with the radio, changing the channels until he caught the introduction of a familiar song. Aaron’s head tilted slightly as he heard it too, their eyes suddenly lost in each other and that memory ‘Monday you can fall apart, Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart’. Aaron knew by now he would never be able to erase that perfect week from his memory, but hearing this song just brought it all rushing back. As they sat face to face they began slipping into the memory together, the music guiding the way. 

 

It had been Aaron’s third day at home farm and they were laid out on the sofa naked bodies exhausted, but still crying out for more. Their chests heaved in and out, attempting to come down from the euphoria of their latest round of make-up sex. Robert had just about managed to crawl to the kitchen to fix them their habitual post-coital cup of tea. Aaron laughed from his position on the sofa as he watched Robert squirm terrified of spilling hot tea down his naked body. When he finally set the cups down on the coffee table, he pounced on Aaron for his laughter, straddling him with that look, a look which could only ever be reserved for Aaron. 

‘Again’ Aaron breathed gripping onto Robert’s thighs with his hands, Robert smirked at him and his eyes said ‘of course, always’ but he scoffed adjusting his position and collapsing exhausted onto Aaron’s chest

‘Let me have my tea first’ he laughed, pressing a kiss to Aaron’s body ‘And don’t you even dare suggest that it’s because I’m old’

‘Ah well, there may be some truth in that though, you used to be able to go for so much longer in the beginning’

‘Well can you blame me for being exhausted, in the last three days we’ve basically caught up on two and half months’ worth of sex, I think I have a right to be worn out, you must be running on some magical force. 

‘Oh, here he goes, geeking out on me’ 

Aaron had laughed raking a hand through his lovers’ blonde hair catching bits between his fingers and curling it round them. 

As a lull fell across the room they both then remembered that the radio was playing in the background. Of course the music had been blocked out during their various fun, it would have been impossible to tell if any music was playing with some of the noises they had been making. Robert had put it on an hour earlier before they began to undress each other, something different he’d said ‘mood music’ as if they needed any help in that department. They didn’t, but Aaron enjoyed the excitement in Robert’s eyes as he skimmed the channels searching for the perfect song for them. Aaron had been stood in the middle of the living room awkwardly waiting for the song which Robert deemed perfect enough.

When the introduction started, Robert waited in the corner of the room, trying to gage Aaron’s reaction. Was it too cheesy? Would Aaron laugh? He did neither instead he stayed frozen to the spot, absorbing the words Robert had chosen for him to hear ‘I’ve hungered for your touch a long, lonely time’. Hedging his bets he strolled over until he was right behind Aaron. Reaching out his long arms he eased the sides of Aaron’s jacket off stopping to nuzzle his face into the back of his neck, leaving a single lingering kiss. Taking a slight step back, he helped Aaron’s arms out of his jacket and tossed it across the room. He almost gasped at his luck, Aaron had come prepared, he was only wearing a T-shirt. Aaron waited with anticipation the unusual slow pace of Robert’s advances confusing him. Reaching up his hands behind him he pulled Robert’s head down close to his cheek so he could kiss him on the lips, but was left surprised when Robert moved away and appeared in front of him. He took Aaron’s hands in his and laced their fingers together; lifting their joined hands up to his lips he pressed a kiss onto the knuckles. Next he reached forward and pulled Aaron into what felt like a hug, except he kept their joined hands out straight, level with their shoulders he fully leant forward resting his chin on Aaron’s shoulder. Aaron noticed the position and with the slow swaying suddenly concluded that they were indeed dancing. They continued swaying from side to side, hips, rubbing together in perfect time. 

Aaron’s eyes began to well up as he heard the song still softly playing in the background, posing the question which Robert was most desperate to know ‘Are you still mine?’ Pulling away, he saw that Robert’s eyes had welled up as well, almost as if he couldn’t ask the question himself and so had chosen this song to do it. He got his answer when Aaron surged forward, and brought their lips together, grappling at the buttons of Robert’s shirt. He practically dragged it off him as they moved backwards towards the sofa. As the song hit the climactic high note, Aaron cheekily placed a hand on Robert’s chest, pushing him backwards onto the sofa. Kicking off his shoes he crawled his way up Robert’s body ready to claim his lips again. 

 

After they had drunk their tea, Aaron was still lying down staring at the ceiling, looking over his stomach, he chuckled noticing Robert’s tiredness beginning to show, his grip on the tea mug loosening. Aaron reached out and saved the mug before it fell, placing it on the coffee table next to his own. He hooked an arm around Robert’s head, bringing his body down from the sitting position he was in until his face was securely resting over Aaron’s heart. A new song weaved in and out of the background, the words absorbed by the two men as they lay in their bliss. Robert mumbled indicating he was still somewhat awake. Placing a soft kiss over Aaron’s heart the gesture gave him a painful reminder that Aaron had yet to say those three little words that his own heart ached for. Words which he had chucked back so needlessly a few months earlier, but now he would give anything to hear again. He had promised Aaron that he could wait because he knew the reasons why. Aaron needed to trust him again, to be able to open himself up just as Robert had done a few weeks earlier when he had confessed his love. However, his own confession had not been enough, he knew that and was prepared to wait until he had earned Aaron’s love. For now he just settled for the soft kiss, which Aaron placed into his hair when the song got to a particular lyric, ‘It’s Friday, I’m in love’. Aaron breathed in Robert’s scent as he nestled his nose in his hair, their scents which had now joined together and had somehow made Robert smell even more gorgeous than normal. In the end, neither could work up the energy to go for another round, but were instead content to lie on the sofa for the remainder of the evening listening to the various love songs which attempted to put into words everything that they were thinking and feeling. Robert traced a soft ring around Aaron’s belly button as the weight of sleep was finally beginning to claim him ‘Love you’ he whispered, drifting off as Aaron stroked a reassuring hand down on his back to let him know his words were everything.

 

Those naked figures in the memory slowly slipped away now as Aaron snapped out of his daydream breaking the eye-contact with Robert and turning his attention back to the road. Fidgeting with the silence, he chose to break it with a question he knew would lead to something, because despite all of the things he had convinced himself about Robert, about them and how none of it was real, that song had crumbled his resolve. It smashed the glass wall, he had put up between them and now that numbness from before began to wane away.

‘Do you have a favourite one then?’ Robert looked back from the road surprised at the communication being re-opened

‘Favourite what?’ Aaron rolled his eyes at having to spell it out

‘Favourite kiss, of ours obviously’ he saw the corners of Robert’s mouth perk up at the suggestion, the glint in his eye returning, along with a shy smile and shy was one word Aaron would never normally equate with Robert. He looked down at his hands, as if pretending to contemplate even though it was obvious he already knew the answer.

‘Your last morning at Home farm when we were on the couch, everything just… felt right about it’ his eyes stayed down as he made the hesitant reply ‘Yours?’ His question silently begged Aaron to continue this conversation into their greatest hits. But Aaron’s mind had wrestled back control from his heart and told him he needed to shut this conversation down before it got painful. Ignoring Robert’s question he nodded towards the cars in front. 

‘Traffic’s moving’

Robert winced as he turned back to the steering wheel, the conversation had turned from being a joke into something more and the sudden rejection was leaving a stabbing pain in his chest. The two men remained silent for the remainder of the journey, Aaron only looked up when they pulled into the hotel car park. Walking up to the entrance, he stalled watching as Robert marched in front, only now remembering the last time he and Robert had been in a hotel together. Recalling the memories Aaron fought back a smile on his face as they reached the reception and he noticed that Robert was wearing a tie, had they been on better terms he probably would have gotten Robert back for those comments he made about his tie. Instead, he remained silent as Robert started ringing the bell for the receptionist 

‘Hiya, I was wondering if you could tell me which room Victoria Sugden is staying in, she’s expecting us’. When the search proved negative for anyone with that name, he turned to Aaron. ‘Did they say what names they were using?’ Aaron shook his head, realising Adam hadn’t actually mentioned, probably because he wasn’t expecting for anyone to come looking for them. They stayed leaning against the desk for the next ten minutes as they tried Barton and about every other surname of relevance to them they could think of. Finally, when Robert’s mothers’ maiden name failed, he sighed, turning to Aaron in frustration ‘this is a joke, we’ve got no chance’.

‘A joke’ Aaron repeated recalling a memory from his and Victoria’s past, back in the days of school uniforms and bunking off maths lessons. He turned to the receptionist crossing his fingers that his hunch was right ‘How about…Victoria Livesy?’ The receptionist breathed out a sigh of relief as she finally handed over the key to Adam and Victoria’s room, probably happier than the men themselves that they’d found the right name. Hurrying off towards the elevator Robert jogged after him, catching his arm when he pressed the elevator button.

‘How did you know?’ Aaron laughed looking away before he replied

‘Back when we were kids, this idiot teacher was doing our head in and we ended up in detention. I joked to Vic that we should go on the run together and get married, didn’t mean it of course’. Robert grinned at his sister and Aaron’s teenage rebellion, but the moment was fleeting as the story only helped to cause confusion in his head. He realised yet another reason that Aaron fitted so perfectly into his life, his relationship with Vic and Diane was practically bordering on in-laws already. He sighed, looking down at the ring on his finger, twisting it in annoyance a brief thought occurring to him of weddings and what he and Aaron’s could have been like. Shaking himself from the impossible dream he noticed he still had Aaron’s arm in his grip. They both sprung apart when the lift finally came, Robert stepped in first to press the correct floor. When they finally reached the correct door, Robert stopped outside breathing in a few times to steady himself. He and Vic had not parted on the best terms; Adam’s recent actions had left distrustful causing an argument between the siblings. Aaron tilted a reassuring nod his way, before fishing the key card out of his pocket to open the door. When it was finally unlocked all that was waiting inside was Adam and Victoria’s suitcases and a breakfast cart of which the contents had already been consumed. 

‘Guess we’ll just have to wait till they come back’ Aaron said throwing himself onto the bed. Robert nodded and continued to stand by the edge of the bed awkwardly swaying, unsure whether he was allowed to sit. Aaron resolved the issue as he stared up at Robert from his place on the pillow, hands poised above his head ‘Come on then sit down, I won’t bite’. Feeling that familiar spark to their conversation, Robert’s smile returned and he took off his suit jacket laying it at the end of the bed and beginning to crawl towards Aaron who remained calm and collected. 

‘What if I ask you to bite?’ Robert whispered a slight anticipating moan fighting to escape. He hovered in front of Aaron reaching out to play with the strings of his hoodie, teasing for a response. Their faces were millimetres apart from each other their warm breathing ghosting past each other’s cheeks. Aaron closed his eyes in anticipation, the response waiting on his tongue and his body aching to say it. He knew that once he did Robert would kiss him and these weeks of standing his ground and acting cold would melt away under the weight of his feelings for this man. As the different responses ticked over in Aaron’s head, taunting him for an answer, he finally made a decision. Dispensing with words he pulled Robert by his tie and buried his face in his neck, placing small sharp kisses. He finally began teasing the skin of Robert’s throat with his teeth, causing the man to moan and move closer. He lifted his legs over Aaron’s body, so that he was straddling him again, just like that day at Home Farm. Except this time more harsh words had been thrown around there had been more heartache and stupid decisions, but at this point neither cared. Both were just happy to have their bodies touching again. That spark which was always burning was now exploding and hands went everywhere, Aaron pulled Robert’s body closer with his legs refusing to break the kiss. 

Robert moved his head to Aaron’s neck, placing kisses all along the stumbled jaw, stopping when he got to Aaron’s chin. He searched Aaron’s eyes for something that they had shared not long ago and broke out into a grin when he saw it still there. Confused with Robert’s tentativeness Aaron placed a hand on the back of Robert’s head, attempting to bring him closer, but Robert stopped him. Robert’s heart began to beat fast because he knew what was about to happen, what he was about to say. He couldn’t stop himself even if he wanted to; it was like a force rushing to get the words out of his body syllable by syllable. He leant down gently, pressing his lips ever so slightly onto Aaron’s. He squished their noses together, desperate to recreate that perfect kiss from their time at Home Farm. As Aaron’s eyes followed his movements, he began to speak slowly wanting every word to be emphasised, putting everything he had into saying them

‘I love…’ suddenly Aaron unwrapped himself from Robert’s waist when a rattling at the door began. Victoria flung the door open and stopped short when she saw her brother next to the bed smiling awkwardly. 

‘Rob?’ she flew at him jumping into a hug, oblivious to the obvious redness of Robert’s eyes. He shared a look with Aaron over her shoulder. A look which said you know what I was about to say, please tell me you still feel the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow ok so I haven't done this in a really long time. I hope you liked it and feel free to leave kudos or comments :)
> 
> Obviously I own none of the the characters in the story, neither do I own the two songs which I referenced, they were:  
> Friday I'm in Love-The Cure  
> Unchained Melody-The Righteous Brothers


End file.
